Unlucky in Love (23 page)

“I'm calling it Lexi 3.0.”

“What?” She sputtered, putting down her coffee cup.

“Well, the way I see it, you've got a Lexi 1.0 and 2.0 already, and neither of those are quite working out, so I—I designed a new version.”

“You des—what?” Lexi couldn't help but smile.

“Hear me out.”

She made a lip-locking motion. “I'm all ears.”

He took a deep breath, opening the folder, where she could see a pile of papers and—were those architectural sketches?

“So Lexi 1.0 is almost perfect, in my opinion. She's smart, she's sweet, she's generous, and she's sexy as hell. She makes me laugh, she makes me crazy, and…she makes me scared.”

“Scared?” Lexi's voice was quiet among the clanking plates and glasses of the diner.

“Yeah, scared. Out of my wits, actually.” He nodded. “Because completely against my will, and against any sense of logic, I apparently fell in love with her.”

“Oh,” she whispered.

He smiled, like he knew that was her standard response now. Then he put up a finger. “But Lexi 2.0 turned into a problem.”

“Uh-oh.”

“Yep. She came in, all bluster and hope and misplaced trust, and she tried to bury Lexi 1.0 on her way to becoming some woman she didn't really know how to be—some woman she never
needed
to be.”

Lexi nodded slowly, sadly. Yeah. That'd been her.

“So.” He spread out the papers. “Upon close examination, I believe the right path here is to discard Lexi 2.0 and embrace Lexi 1.0, because with a couple of alterations, I'm pretty sure she'd be perfect.”

Lexi tipped her head. “Against my better judgment, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt on where you're going here. What sorts of—alterations—are we talking about?”

He raised his eyebrows as he shuffled through the papers. “I'm so glad you asked. Exhibit A.”

Lexi took the page he handed her. It was a job description for a Whisper Creek Ranch nurse, and it looked like Ma or Kyla had posted it just last week.

“Oh. So…they're looking at having somebody there year-round?” Lexi felt a little stab in her gut at the thought of someone else coming into her adorable little medical office at the ranch, changing things around, looking out her gorgeous window, seeing…her gorgeous Gunnar.

“Yep.” He didn't say anything else—just smiled.

“Are they getting a lot of applicants? Because I can imagine—you know—one look at the website, and they'll be applying from all over the universe.”

“It's not posted yet, actually. I was asked to deliver it to their favorite candidate.”

Lexi smiled sadly, setting it down. “That's really sweet. It is.”

“But you can't. I know.” He sighed. “Therein, I present Exhibit B.” He handed her another piece of paper, this one an architectural drawing.

She could see bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, two kitchens, two garages. Weird. Were they going to start building condos at Whisper Creek? She cringed, picturing ugly structures dotting the stunning hillsides. Why would they do such a thing?

“Gunnar, what is this?”

“Well, right now it's just a plan. But by Christmas, it's going to be a home. You remember Roscoe, right?”

“Of course.” Lexi thought back to the retired trooper they'd tried to outrun on her first day in Montana.

“He can't be alone anymore, really, and his wife is exhausted, trying to care for him. Jenny's been looking at places he might be able to live, and they're either too far away, or crazy-expensive. She's running the bakery, so she can't be there 24/7, of course. So…Ma and Decker came up with a plan. They're going to build this cabin beside the main lodge, and Roscoe and his wife will move there instead. That way, they'll be at the ranch, where it's active, and where there are plenty of people around to help look out for them.”

“Wow.” Lexi felt her eyes widen. “That's really generous of the Driscolls.”

Gunnar shrugged. “It's just how they are. You know them.” Then he pointed to the drawing. “So they're going to live in this side.”

“And let me guess—the new ranch nurse gets the other side? So she can help take care of Roscoe?”

“No, actually, though that's not a bad idea.”

“So who gets the other side?”

Gunnar sat back, silent for a long moment, like he wasn't at all sure he should say anything more. Then he blew out a breath and sat forward again, elbows on the table.

“We're wondering…if maybe you'd consider bringing your mother to Whisper Creek.”

Lexi felt her breath catch in her throat, just as she dropped her coffee cup, catching it at the last second, before it splashed hot coffee into her lap.

“My—what? Bring my mother—
what
?” She couldn't process what he was saying.

He reached out for her hands. “Lexi, if you think this sounds crazy, you might be right…but this isn't just a plan made by a lovesick bachelor whose true love abandoned him to go care for a mother who really, really needs her.”

Lexi tried to take in his words, put them in logical order, and make sense of them.
Lovesick? True love?
Bring your mother?

“I don't—I'm not sure—I can't…think.”

“I'm sorry to spring this on you, and believe me, if I could have thought of a more graceful way to do it, I would have.” He pressed his lips together. “But I'm short on time, and here's the thing. I told you I miss you, but those words? They don't even begin to describe it. Lex, my heart feels like—like you took it with you, dammit. I've got everything I dreamed of out there—horses, land, a family—but since you left, it's like somebody turned off the color. I'm wandering around a black-and-white picture book, looking for…
you
. Everywhere I turn, every time I wake up, every night when I go to sleep. You're in my head, and dammit, woman, you won't leave.”

Lexi smiled at his tortured tone, finally filtering his words.

He loved her.

He loved
her
.

Not the sparkly woman she'd tried to become, not the other women throwing themselves at him from every angle.

He. Loved. Her.

“So, this plan?” He cleared his throat. “This plan's been evolving all week, every night at dinner. It's got all of our hands in it—Decker's and Kyla's, Jess's and Cole's, and even Hayley's and Daniel's—and especially Ma's. We want you back, Lexi. All of us do. And if that means you come with a mother who's going to need care, then we'll make that work. We will.”

He reached out to touch her cheek. “Sweetheart. Aw, hell. You're crying again. This was supposed to make you smile, not cry.”

“I just can't believe—everyone. All of you.” Lexi broke off, picturing Ma's dinner table, that glorious slab of scarred oak where the family gathered every night. And for the past week, all attention had been on creating some sort of plan to help Lexi join that family.

It was too much to bear. She thought her ribs might actually crack from the pressure of her heart growing ten sizes.

But then she thought of Mom—of her big Victorian her porch, her settled, controlled existence. She thought about the fact that until three months ago, her entire life had revolved around this tiny town on the Maine coast. She thought of Katie.

“So, no pressure, but maybe you could say something here? Anything?” Gunnar's eyes were pleading.

“I don't even know where to start. It's—it's too much to take in. So much generosity, so much—God, I don't even know. I can't process it, Gunnar.”

He nodded, his face serious. “I understand. I do. And maybe I'm completely out of line even asking. Maybe you're perfectly content right here in Maine. Maybe your mother can't move. Maybe you don't
want
to go back to Montana. I know all of those possibilities are staring me in the face, too.” He paused. “I'm not looking for any answers, or any commitments. I'm really not. I just wanted to see you, Lexi. I wanted to tell you how much I've missed you.”

He took her hands again. “And I wanted to tell you I love you.”

Later that evening, Lexi sat on the rocks on Long Sands beach, watching the last of the sun's rays touch the water from behind her. The sky was pink, giving the waves a surreal, romantic glow as they slowly pushed their way up the sandy beach.

After Gunnar had dropped her back at school, she'd gone through the rest of the day in a complete fog. He'd headed right back to Boston to catch his flight home, but he'd promised to call as soon as he landed. He'd promised to call her every day until she made a decision.

What he hadn't done is promise to
keep
loving her if she couldn't leave, and that was the one thing that kept gnawing at her as she sat watching the waves.

She hadn't told Katie, or Steph, or—God forbid—Mom about his visit, or his plans and exhibits yet. She didn't even know how to.

She loved him so much it physically hurt. That much was painfully clear right now as she sat with her arms tightly around her waist, afraid if she let go, she might literally fall apart. If Mom didn't have to factor into the decision-making here, Lexi would have gone to the airport with him. She would have. To live out at Whisper Creek, surrounded by the beauty, the horses, the whole
family
would be a dream come true—a dream she didn't know she'd even had.

And to be with him? Forever?

That was a dream she didn't know whether she
deserved
.

She sighed, realizing suddenly how dark it had become. She needed to get back to the house and help Katie get Mom settled for the night. But just as she started to get up, her phone vibrated, and she felt a jolt of possibility. Was it Gunnar? Had he changed his mind? Turned around halfway to Boston because he couldn't bear to leave?

She checked the display, then sighed. Katie.

“Hey, sis.” She tried to make her voice sound normal as she answered.

“Hey, yourself. You still at the beach?”

“Just leaving. Do you need help?”

“No.” Katie paused. “Maybe stay a little longer, would you?”

“Why?”

“Because. Somebody has a surprise for you.”

Lexi frowned. “What kind of somebody?”

“Just stay put for a bit. Trust me.” Katie hung up before Lexi could answer, and Lexi scanned the beach, suspicious. The only somebody she wanted any more surprises from was Gunnar, but he was gone. And if he
had
somehow miraculously changed his mind and turned around, he certainly wouldn't have alerted Katie to that fact. He didn't even know her.

It had to be Tristan.

Dammit.

And of course Katie would sound happy about it, because if Lexi gave Tristan a second chance, and things worked out, then Lexi would stay put right here in York, and Katie would be free to continue living her life any way she pleased.

Lexi turned toward the ocean, letting her eyes adjust to the moonlight. As she looked toward Nubble Light, watching its beacon sweep comfortingly around and around, a sound came from her right—a sound that didn't fit the beach at all.

Was it—no. It couldn't be.

She whirled to the right, and it was. There was a
horse
on the beach. Her first thought was that if the York Police happened along right now, whoever was riding it was going to be looking at a stiff ticket. Her second thought was that Tristan had gone completely over the edge if he had somehow procured a flipping
horse
to do his apologizing with.

She picked her way down the rocks onto the sand, watching the horse and rider as it got closer. They moved as one, and she tipped her head, wondering when Tristan had learned to ride. Thirty seconds later, she felt her breaths coming short and fast as she made out the rider's shape in the moonlight.

He pulled up close, sliding off the horse, and she wasn't sure how she remained standing. She also wasn't sure how her cheeks didn't actually break, her smile was so wide.

“Hey, Lex.”

She looked up, and it was like all of the sadness and fear and anger of the past month flew into the waves.

“Gunnar,” she whispered. “You came back.”

He nodded, touching his hand to his Stetson. “I couldn't leave.”

And then she couldn't stop herself. She ran the few steps it took to reach him, and leaped. He caught her easily, laughing as he spun her around. After what seemed like an eternity and a moment, at the same time, he set her carefully down, brushing the hair out of her eyes as he held her close.

“I can't believe you're here,” she breathed.

“Turns out I kind of suck at leaving you, Lex.”

She closed her eyes, letting his words float on the air. “I love that quality in you.” Then she pulled back, suddenly realizing he must have called Katie to see where to find her. “Wait. How did you know my sister's number?”

“Emergency contact on your employment forms. Kyla might have accidentally left them in view when she went to get a cup of coffee. It's not my fault.”

She laughed. “What a sneak. You peeked?”

“Well, in my defense, she might have said, ‘Gunnar, Lexi's application's sitting on my desk in the office. I'll be
out
of that office for the next five minutes. Just saying.' ”

Lexi laughed again, picturing Kyla with her eyebrows up, motioning to Gunnar with her chin.

“Remind me to thank her for her utter indiscretion in employment matters.”

“Absolutely.” Gunnar tipped his head toward the horse. “Want to go for a ride?”

“You're crazy.” Lexi smiled. “Where did you get a
horse
?”

“Sorry. Can't reveal my methods. A man's gotta have some mystery.” He cupped his hands so she could step into them. “Come on, cowgirl. Let's go, before I get a ticket.”

She laughed as she swung up onto the horse, then felt a completely different emotion as he swung smoothly up behind her.

“Ever ride double?” He spoke close to her ear, sending delicious shivers downward as he reached around her to grab the reins.

“No.”

“You'll love it.” He tapped the horse with his heels as he gently clacked the reins, and before she could take a full breath, they were walking at a sedate pace toward the lighthouse.

Lexi sighed and sat back, snuggling into Gunnar's body. If this was all a dream, then she would be perfectly happy to never, ever wake up.

Then he leaned down, his lips at her ear again. “Want to go faster?”

She nodded, not trusting her voice to speak, and he nudged the horse into a trot, then a canter. As they rode the rocking rhythm, Lexi was suddenly, absolutely sure there was no possible way that there was any more romantic thing in the universe to do than this right here.

“Faster?” he whispered, and she heard the word in a completely different context. But how could she not, nestled against his solid, strong body, sitting on a horse rocking them with a rhythm that lulled her and excited her at the same time.

“Faster,” she said, and then they were galloping. And omigod, she'd never, ever felt anything like it. Like flying, she swore. With Gunnar's arms firmly around her waist, his breath close to her ear, his legs clamped around hers, she felt like they could just run and run, right into the ocean and into another world where there were no sick mothers, no scared sisters, no two thousand miles between them.

But then Gunnar gave the reins a soft tug, and the horse slowed to a canter, then down to a walk. Lexi fought her disappointment, but realized the poor horse couldn't be expected to carry two adults like that for long.

“We're out of beach,” Gunnar said, and Lexi looked up, realizing that they were indeed at the end of the beach, close to the rocks that wound around to where the lighthouse stood.

“Rats.” Lexi frowned, and Gunnar laughed.

“Three months ago, could you have ever pictured yourself doing that?”

“No.” She shook her head. “That's why I'm a much better person now.”

He laughed again. “You were just fine before. You just didn't know it.”

She sobered. “I didn't know…a lot.”

“Did you know that you can actually kiss while riding double?”

“No.” She smiled.

“Totally can.” His arms tightened around her as she turned her head toward him. And then, as the horse picked its way slowly down the beach, Gunnar's lips covered hers, possessive and sure, and she melted into him, wanting to feel every inch of his body with every inch of hers. As the kiss heated, his hands slowly roamed upward…downward, and she arched, longing for him to touch her…everywhere.

“Jesus, Lex.” He broke away, his breathing a little bit ragged, which made her smile.

“I know.” She let her head fall against his chest as he pulled her closer.

“I thought I'd lost you.” He kissed her neck. “And I'd barely found you.”

She tipped her head, feeling her pulse ratchet up a hundred more notches, as his lips traveled her sensitive skin.

A splash of spray from the waves caught her by surprise, and she was knocked back into reality for a brief, completely unwelcome moment. He was here now, and it was delicious and hot and oh, so good—but now it was going to be even harder when he left.

“Lex?” His voice was soft in her ear. “Stop thinking. We'll figure it out, okay?”

She breathed in, breathed out, and then a feeling of utter, complete peace stole over her.
We'll figure it out.

It was four simple words, but they said so much, and somehow, in that moment, she knew everything was going to work out. It had to. They'd make it.

“Gunnar?”

“Yeah?” He paused his kisses.

“You know that summer bucket list you kept accusing me of having?”

She felt him smile against her neck. “I was right, wasn't I? You totally had a list.”

“I did. Katie and I made it before I left.”

“And?” He nuzzled her earlobe, making her shiver. “Did we manage to cross off any items together?”

“We did. I drank Montana beer, climbed a rock wall, kayaked…kissed a stranger—”

“Mm.” He lifted her hair and kissed the back of her neck. “Lucky me.”

“There
is
one item on the list that I never quite got to, though.” She sighed quietly as his hands roamed upward.

“One that I can help you with?”

Lexi pictured the list, scribbled in purple ink, still sitting in the same notebook on her apartment counter. She pictured the last item on the list, dashed at the bottom in Katie's playful script.

And she smiled as she turned to kiss him.

“Oh, yes.”

“Was it
fall in love with a cowboy
? Because I'd really love to help you check off that particular item.”

Lexi giggled, then nodded slowly. “Um, yes. That's exactly what it was.”

“And did you?” He paused his hands, his eyes suddenly serious.

She slid her hands into his, drawing them upward toward her heart. “I did. Didn't mean to, but…I totally did.”

He smiled, kissing her softly. Then he slid his hands downward to brace her waist.

“You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.” He ducked his lips to her neck while one hand slid achingly upward and the other drifted slowly between her legs. “But I'm pretty sure you're lying.”

She gasped as his fingers touched her. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

“The list, Lex.” She felt him smile against her neck as he pulled her closer. “I'm pretty sure there's one last item on there that only a cowboy can help with.”